For once, rumors about a new development in the social media world were accurate. Some owners of mobile phones running the Android operating system in the Spokane area will soon be able to download an improved version of Facebook called Facebook Home.
On Thursday, April 4, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke at an event launching Facebook Home. According to Eyder Peralta and Mark Memmott of National Public Radio, Zuckerberg described Facebook Home as "a family of apps... you can install it and it becomes the home of your phone."
Facebook Home will be available as a free download for several popular Samsung and HTC phones on April 12.
Salvador Rodriguez of The Los Angeles Times gave an overview of how the apps will work.
According to Rodriguez, "Facebook Home... optimizes users' smartphone screens in home and lock modes to keep them connected more directly to their social network friends.
"The interface's lock screen, which Facebook is calling Cover Feed, shows users the latest content shared by their friends. Users can go through the content by swiping on the screen, and they can 'like' or comment on posts directly from the cover feed.
"Another feature called Chat Heads lets users quickly chat with their friends while running other apps on their smartphones. Chat Heads will show users their friends' profile pictures in little bubbles that hover over whatever app the user is on.
"Those bubbles can be moved around the screen or tapped to open up the text message or a Facebook Messenger conversation that the user and his or her friend are having."
Facebook Home is intended to make it much easier to use Facebook and Instagram, but some of the convenient touches may seem like drawbacks to some users.
According to Alexandra Chang of Wired, "Facebook Home controls more of your Android experience than you’re used to — it's much more than an app. It can turn off your lock screen and see what other apps you're currently running on the phone. It has control over your system and WiFi settings.
"The goal is to make it as easy as possible to do anything you’d want to do with Facebook, Instagram and the rest of Zuckerberg empire. Gone is the need to hunt through pages of separate apps. Your whole Facebook experience is all right there on the home screen, one tap away."
People in the Spokane area who are interested in the rumored "Facebook phone" HTC First should be able to buy one on April 12 as well.
According to Rodriguez, "The HTC First, which can be pre-ordered as of today and will go on sale April 12, is listed at $99.99. The company called the device the 'ultimate social phone.'
"The device is exclusive to AT&T and will be available in black, white, red or light blue. The HTC First features a 4.3-inch screen and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The phone is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor."
Many journalists and others who are up on the latest technology have expressed disappointment with the HTC First's specifications. Chang described it as "straight out of last year." However, there are other features that may outweigh the phone's perceived shortcomings.
According to Josh Constine of TechCrunch, "Home from Google Play only shows Facebook content on the home screen, whereas on the HTC First and its flavor of Android you can get Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook email, information about available Wi-Fi networks, and more notifications fed into your home screen.
"Additionally, on the HTC First, you’ll be able to swipe up to to show your app shortcuts, and then swipe right to reveal a Google Search bar that doesn’t exist in the downloadable version of Home.
"So in fact, the 'Facebook Phone' by HTC will offer a less-exclusively Facebook experience than just downloading the Facebook Home app for standard Androids."
People in the Spokane area who aren't happy with the mobile version of Facebook now have two potentially better options to consider. On the other hand, experts such as Chang are speculating that other companies may start producing their own Facebook phones, so it might pay off to wait to see what HTC's competitors offer as alternatives.
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